Just Remember to Breathe
by samashhh
Summary: Draco Malfoy has always had a hard life, never expected. When his wife dies after a two year marriage, he finally comes to realize he needs to move on. But moving isn't as easy as it looks, or is it? DMHG
1. Girl Of Your Dreams

**When Ends Meet**

**Full Summary: **Draco Malfoy has always had a hard life, never expected. When his wife dies after a two year marriage, he finally comes to realize he needs to move on, but is moving on to someone who looks exactly like his wife really moving on? The twisted part; is that no one else can see her.

**Genre: **Romance/Mystery/Angst

**Pairing: **Draco/Hermione, Draco/OC

**Era: **Post-Hogwarts

**Warnings: **Deathly Hallows Spoilers

**Author's Notes: **Slightly based on the movie, '_Just like Heaven_.'

**Chapter 1: Girl of Your Dreams**

They sat in his office, clean. Mother and Father were on the upper level of the Manor. The two men sat there talking, having nothing better do.

"The girl of your dreams is out there somewhere; you just have to find her."

"Easy for you to say, you're engaged."

"It took me four years for me to even find a girl like her, but I'm happy."

"Maybe I will one day."

"You still can't be pining over your ex-wife can you?" His friend asked.

"How can I? She's dead."

"You make it seem like you don't care at all anymore."

"Why should I? She's been gone for two years now; I'll have to get over her some time or another."

"Draco?"

"Just don't, Ryan. Please, I prefer to be alone right now."

His friend bid Draco a silent goodbye and left the house. Draco had never had an easy life. He went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for seven years and he couldn't remember a time he felt more miserable. During his seventh and final year, the war happened, the final battle between the Dark side and Light side. Brutal, forced to take sides, blood had been shed. Many of his close friends had died, leaving him to pick up all the pieces in his life. Then he met her, a couple of months after leaving Hogwarts. She was different, completed him in ways he couldn't have imagined. He'd changed because of her without even knowing, and he was happy.

But then that one night changed everything. They'd been having a silent dinner, just them for company. His parents had visited him a little while before. It was late and his wife was heading out so she could drop off some papers from her work to her boss. Draco persisted, telling her she could just drop it off in the morning. But she insisted. Later on that night, Draco was worried. His wife hadn't been home in three hours. A knock was heard at the door.

"Are you Mister Malfoy?" A man stood at the door, Draco could tell he was what muggles called them a police officer.

"Yes," Draco answered hesitantly.

"I'm afraid, sir that your wife was in terrible car accident and she didn't make it. I'm sorry sir."

It was a major blow to his heart, to find out his wife was dead. She wasn't going to be in his life anymore. They would never be able to relax in each others arms, have late dinners enjoying each other's company. Never have children, it was a terrible feeling. He learned a little while later that his wife had been hit by a drunk driver. Draco wanted to kill the man that killed his wife, but then heard his wife's voice in his head. _"Don't do it Draco, you'll be nothing more than a murderer."_ And she was right, and he couldn't bare the thought of killing another human being with what happened in the war.

The funeral was a month later, Draco finally accepting what had happened to his wife. He hardly went to work, nor ate. He didn't have the energy nor need to do anything anymore. His best friend Ryan Goldstein, he'd met when he started to date _her_. Ryan had helped Draco immensely, knowing how he felt.

Two years had passed since then and Draco wanted to move on. He knew his wife would want that for him. He didn't want to mope around the house, but what could he possibly do? His wife wasn't coming back. A wife he loved very much.

After retiring from another's day work, Draco decided to walk around for a bit before retiring home. He moved back in the Malfoy Manor five months after his wife's death, deciding he couldn't handle being alone in their home he'd shared with his wife for two years. He passed a lot of shops he'd never noticed, and then one shop caught his eye for no particular reason. It was a plain old coffee shop; there were no fancy designs, and extravagant décor.

He walked into the shop, taking in the warm feeling he felt once inside. It was winter, bitter and frozen. Pulling off his scarf and gloves he walked towards the counter, deciding to order something. Waitresses busted around the shop delivering people their orders while the customers sat by the cozy fire and read newspapers and talked pleasantly.

Draco had never seen any of those shops near his work before, he'd always had apparated to the Manor straight from work, but an impulse decision told him to walk instead.

"Hi sir, how may I take your order?" The cashier asked him when he approached the counter.

"I'll take a small coffee, black please." Draco said.

"No problem sir, if you'll find a place to sit your waitress will deliver your order in a minute."

Draco walked over to a seat near the window, furthest away from the fire. He noticed a newspaper on top of the table near him, and decided he had nothing better to do then read. He noticed immediately that it was the _Daily Prophet_, a wizarding newspaper. He was sure that this coffee shop was a muggle shop, or maybe he'd have paid any attention within the last two years.

Entranced with his reading, he hadn't noticed the waitress had brought his coffee. "Your coffee sir," the woman said. "That'll be two sickles please." Her voice was distinct fully familiar and he wondered where he heard it before. He looked up, a women stood in her early twenties, curly brown hair pulled back into a messy bun. He reached into his pocket for the two sickles and an extra knut to give to the waitress as a tip. "Thank you sir, enjoy your coffee." The woman said once more, before retreating and delivering more coffee to other customers than had just come into the shop.

Draco was sure he knew her, must have recognized her from somewhere. Maybe he'd known her from school? How was that possible? He hadn't many friends there, and he remembered everyone from that school. He made everyone there practically miserable. On some days he wished he could go back and change everything but that would be asking for too much. He drank his coffee silently, and continued to read the Daily Prophet.

Once a week Draco would find himself back at the shop, after work. Maybe he was hoping to see that waitress again. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he knew her, at least to know her name. By now the cashier knew his order and different waitress would deliver his coffee. This time it was her, the one he wanted to see at least of hoping to remember. He saw the name tag, 'Hermione.' He only remembered one Hermione in his entire life, Hermione Granger. The muggle-born witch he teased in school. Before she was about to walk away, this time he grabbed her arm lightly. "Granger?"

She stared shocked at him for a moment before squeezing her arm out of his grip. She began to walk away again, not wanting to talk to him. "Wait, Granger!" She wasn't listening. He wondered why Granger was working at a little old coffee shop, as a waitress and not working at the ministry like everyone else. He could admit he never hated her, and he wasn't as prejudiced like everyone had thought. She was in a manner of speaking, different.

Ryan thought the idea funny, when Draco told him the story. "It's funny mate."

"Seriously Ryan, I don't get what's so funny."

"It's fate."

"Fate?" Draco asked him confused. What did fate have to do with anything?

"It's fate that you're seeing her again after all this time. You never know, she could possibly be the girl of your dreams mate."

"Granger, _impossible_," Draco said. Though he didn't actually think the idea was that absurd. He just didn't want to let his friend know that he might, _just_ might consider it.

"I'm just saying mate, but you never know. Anything could happen."

**Author's Notes: Another story, another chapter. I'm going for a different approach with this story so I hope you like it. In this story both Malfoy's parents are alive still so there will be more of them later on. Hope you enjoy it! They'll be more information on Draco's wife later on, as well.**

**natural-malfoy**


	2. She's Dead

When Ends Meet

**Chapter 2: She's Dead.**

"_Draco, when we get married, we'll live in a big house, won't we?"_

"_Only if you want to, I've lived in a manor all my life, you know that." Draco said._

"_I know that silly, but I figured you're so used to it that you would prefer to live in a smaller house, just for us."_

"_Whatever you want,"_

"_You spoil me too much, you know that."_

"_Only for you, only you,"_

Draco woke up in sweat; he was dreaming about her again; not that he didn't have pleasant dreams. But he hated dreaming about his wife because it brought back terrible memories. Everytime; he would know she was dead and would never be coming back. It was the weekend, knowing that he preferred to sleep in, but he always tossed and turned after a dream like that one.

"_Draco, why aren't you there for me anymore. How could you have let me die? Why did you let me go?"_

"_You asked me to," Draco said. He pleaded for his wife to forgive him, why she always blamed him for her death was a mystery. She haunted his dreams, and always died. They were once upon a time happy filled life long dreams but was shattered to pieces when she would fade into nothingness._

"_You should have told me to stay home, this would have never happened."_

"_This isn't my fault," He didn't mean for any of this to happen. She blamed him for her death._

"_Yes it is Draco, what happened to us? We were supposed to be together forever!"_

"_What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry, how could I have predicted the future, I'm not a seer."_

"_I'm dying Draco, don't you see."_

_Lights flashed and a crash was heard, blood was everywhere. Her hair, her eyes, they became blot shot. She screamed, tears falling down her face. The police, the aurors they were too late. There was nothing they could do. She's dead._

He didn't want to have those nightmares anymore. He tried so many sleeping draughts he almost felt drowsy all the time. But nothing could stop the nightmares. His wife haunted his dreams and he couldn't shake it away. Was it his fault that he couldn't save her? He always felt it was, he should have protected her, he was her husband and he couldn't do a damn thing to save her. Ryan was always there for him, to reassure him that he wasn't alone. But it was never enough; nothing would make the pain go away.

When he heard the news, he wanted 'Avada Kedavra' himself. Why should he have to live while his wife lay in a grave? It wasn't _bloody_ fair. He knew that even if he would never love again, never be able to really feel something towards another person. His wife would have wanted him to move on, but she wouldn't have understood how hard it actually was. He wanted to be happy, but it was just so hard.

He found himself coming into that old dingy coffee shop once a week after work, or in between lunch hours, but _she_ was never there. He didn't know why he kept searching for her, hoping that she was working. He shouldn't care, this was Granger he was talking about, and he didn't even like her. It had been so long since he had talked to anyone from the Order.

He needed to get out, out of this manor. He walked towards the foyer, his mother and father sitting at the dining table.

"Draco? Where are you off to?" His mother asked,

"Narcissa, leave the boy alone."

"I'm just going for a walk Mother; I'll be back for dinner." Draco said, as he continued to walk to the front door.

The fresh air was extremely windy against his cold skin, making his hairs stand up on end. It was in the middle of January, Christmas had just passed where he spent the evening with his family, the only family he had left. His path of mourning was taking a toll on him, but he'd improved within the past year, at least he liked to think so. He'd been going to work, eating regularly.

His mother had repeatedly tried to set him up on dates, but he refused. He wasn't ready nor did he think he would ever be. He knew that maybe in a few years time, he would be able to. The Malfoy's had given up on the blood purity long ago, but his mother and father were strict about who would marry their son, at least for love and not for their money. His late wife was not pureblood in the slightest, but a muggle-born witch. They had been dating for quite some time before Draco had decided to introduce her. The Malfoy's had taken it quite hard when they heard the news of Draco's wife. They had grown used to her within that time, and couldn't have found a better wife for their son.

Now in search to make her son happy again, Narcissa Malfoy-Black searched for someone who would love him unintentionally. It was god's fate that put his wife in the hands of death. No one deserved to die, but if their time had come, no one could have stopped it.

Draco let his feet carry him through the streets; there wasn't much to look at. The sky was quite dark at this time of the day despite it only being three in the afternoon. Wiltshire wasn't an exactly a popular area which was why the neighborhood was so quiet. Some children were playing near a hill which was now covered in snow at this time of year. He looked at them, happy and carefree not having to have to worry about anything, just having fun. A little boy, looked about the age of five years old, was throwing snowballs at another boy, as they tumbled in the snow, laughing. He wished his childhood had been like that. He, being an only child never got to play with children his own age, but was sucked into Dark times, where his father had followed the Dark Lord. Now in his mid twenties, it was hard to watch children play in the snow, laughing as if he had once been a child himself, but never did.

He apparated to Diagon Alley, not many people shopped during this time, considering how cold the weather had been lately. But Draco hardly minded at all. People bustled inside, trying to keep themselves warm. Some of the buildings still had their Christmas decorations still hanging. He spotted Weasley Wizard Wheezes near by; he wondered if any of the Weasley's worked there anymore? He passed the shop quickly but there were too many people in the shop that he didn't want to bother going in.

"Mummy, can we please go back in that store, I want that broom." Draco heard from a distance.

"No, it's too expensive. Maybe another time okay?" Draco knew that voice, he was sure of it. He turned and walked towards the voices and caught sight of them. Ginny Weasley now known as Ginny Potter, married for three years, and had a son who was two. They were standing near a clothing store. He didn't want to intrude, he hadn't spoken to anyone since the battle, and it would have been too weird to ask how they were.

He started to walk away when he heard his name. He turned around and Ginny Potter was standing near him with a curious look on her face. "Malfoy?" She repeated.

"Hi, it's been awhile hasn't it?" He didn't know what else to say. He scratched the back of his neck absentmindedly.

"Yes it has," She answered. "I'm sorry about what happened to your wife." He was too shocked that people who he hadn't gotten along with in the past were feeling sorry for him. It was a strange day.

"It's been hard, but I'm slowly moving on." He took notice of her son standing behind her mother nervously. "Is that your son?"

"Yes, this is James, James this is Mr. Malfoy."

"Hullo Mr. Malfoy."

Draco went on his knees to greet the boy since he was so small. "Pleased to meet you Mister Potter." James had a polite smile on his face, as he shook his hand.

He thought it would have been hard to see these people again. The Weasley's in which he had made fun of them throughout his years at Hogwarts. Ginny looked older now, becoming the mother he always thought she would be. It figured that she would marry Potter, everyone knew it.

"So how are you?" She had asked him.

"I've been better." He answered her honestly; there was no point in lying to himself anymore. "So what have you lot been up too since we left Hogwarts?" Draco asked her, curious.

"Well as you already know Harry and I got married three years ago, Harry's an Auror, I coach the Harpies since I have to take care of James, I can only do so much. Ron works with his brother in the joke shop."

"Weasley never married Granger, I'm surprised."

"No, they didn't marry. They had dated, but Hermione, I don't know, they were fighting a lot, constantly. They broke it off and they remained friends. Ron's dating Luna now."

"Luna, as in Luna Lovegood?"

"Yes, it surprised me too but they seem to get along quite fine."

"And what of Granger?" He asked, since she was the only remaining Trio member.

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" As Draco was mildly confused.

"Hermione's in St. Mungo's." Ginny had a sad expression on her face, but Draco still didn't quite understand.

"Is she a healer?"

"Yes but she's been hospitalized for almost two years now. She's in a coma."

Surprised wasn't exactly what he had expected. He saw her in that coffee shop three weeks ago, he was sure he wasn't imagining things. "A coma? What happened to her?"

"For someone who was so involved with the Wizarding world, you sure know so little." He gave her a pointed look, but she continued. "No one knows exactly what happened. Hermione was working as a healer, she'd been overworked, they were giving her extra hours, and she hadn't taken a break for hours on hours. I asked her to come over for dinner once she was finished but she never showed up. The muggle police found her, and told us she'd been hit by a drunk driver, only she lived. The coma's the only thing keeping her alive right now." Ginny sighed, hating talking about her best friend like this, remembering. "I miss her so much, but I know that if she were here right now, she wouldn't want me walloping in pity. I blame myself for it, I shouldn't have asked her to come over that night."

"Even if you hadn't, you wouldn't have been able to prevent it from happening."

"Thanks Malfoy, I should get going though, James is in need for a nap. You should come over and have dinner with us."

"I don't think that's the wisest idea Ginny, you do know that we were bitter enemies in the past don't you?"

"And yet here we are, four years later. We've changed, we all have. Please come to dinner, tomorrow night? I promise if Harry or Ron is out of line, I won't hate you for hexing them." She smiled at him then.

He didn't know what to think. Dinner with the Gryffindors, he knew he was walking into dangerous territories, but what did he have to lose? "Fine, I'll come. Although I'm sure that Potter and Weasley will not take it lightly me being there."

"Don't worry; I'll take care of everything."

"Alright, see you tomorrow then." He gave a small nod, and waved and started to head back to the manor.

After the initial shock, he was still perplexed. Granger was in a coma, how was that possible, for two years no less? He'd seen her in that coffee shop, and she had looked at him, recognizing him. Something was wrong, and he was going to figure it out. He hadn't gone insane, he wasn't crazy and he certainly hadn't been seeing things. It was her. Granger wasn't dead to the world, she was living and somehow he would get to the bottom of it.

**Author's Notes:** Another chapter finished, hope you like it!

**Ps.** Ginny has never seen a picture of Draco's wife, nor did she ever meet her. The papers hadn't told her the name either; just that she had died unexpectedly. You'll soon find out _who_ Draco's wife is.

Please read and review.

**Natural-malfoy.**


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